The Ketogenic Diet Uses the Body's Natural Systems to Burn Fat

A ketogenic diet is based on the idea that carbohydrates, once ingested, turn into glucose in the bloodstream. Simply said, glucose is sugar. It is not much different than eating a spoonful of refined sugar and nothing more. This is a problem for weight loss because glucose/sugar is the easiest molecule for the body to convert to energy. Since there is little need for any other energy that provided by the carbohydrate as glucose the body compensates by storing fat cells. 

Ketogenic diets go by many names. First, and perhaps, the most recognized is the Atkins Diet. Fat burning diets are also found under this category of diet. The idea is to avoid nearly all carbohydrates, allowing a concentration on proteins and fats. In addition, vegetables and fruits are also allowed in that order. Some ketogenic diets allow dairy and others, like the paleo diet, do not. In the end, however, they all seem to work in the same way.  

How Ketogenic diets work

Human beings evolved when food was not necessarily a given. Hunter/Gatherer cultures evolved to store fat cells for times when food was in short supply. Fat would be processed in the liver into energy. This was accomplished by the release of ketones to facilitate the conversion. Fat 'burned' off allowing the people to survive those periods with little to eat.

These days, in the industrialized world where food is relatively plentiful, evolution still plays a role. We evolved to face long terms of limited food. Rather than starve, we found a way to survive by burning fat for the period when food was extraordinarily short. Yet, today, with carbohydrates in nearly every kind of food presented to us in the supermarket, the body is tricked into thinking there is no famine. The body does exactly what it evolved to do, select the easiest energy conversion which, in turn, grows fat cells.

The ketogenic diet is a way to cause the body to secrete ketones by starving the body of carbohydrates. Counting calories is not so important with this diet, not that calories don't count, they do. Rather, a high protein, high-fat content diet is naturally lower in calories so the counting becomes less important. What happens in this diet plan is that once sugar becomes relatively rare in the bloodstream, the liver kicks in and converts fat to energy. This means that you lose weight in the process.  

Ketogenic Diets and Health

Over the past half-century, since the Atkins Diet Revolution, a diet that Atkins described as healthy, especially for cardiovascular health, many studies indicate that following such a diet is healthy in reducing risk factors for many diseases. I will write about these at a later date. For now, suffice it to say that if you want to reduce your risk for heart disease and a number of cancers, then a low carb diet may be the way to go. 
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Think You’re Eating Healthy?

Let’s face it‐ eating healthy is hard. It’s not hard because it’s impossible, but rather because it

can be so confusing. There are continually new studies coming out say a certain food is good,

and a week later a new study says it’s not. Fad, celebrity‐endorsed diets come and go faster

than we can keep track of. So where can you turn when you’re looking for solid, reliable

nutritional advice?

What makes recommendations so difficult is that there are a plethora of variances from person

to person. Even if you are the same age, gender and weight as someone else, your calorie

expenditure may be much different based off of lifestyle choices, level of activity, etc. Because

of that, recommendations must be taken with a grain of salt. The Institute for Medicine

recommends a breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins into percentage ranges (for

adults):

Carbs 45‐65% of calories

Fats‐ 20‐35% of calories

Proteins‐ 10‐35% of calories

As you can see, even these ranges are quite broad. When you start talking about children, the

confusion just increases. For every change in age group, activity level and/or gender, you’re

looking at an entirely different recommended daily caloric intake. Because of these fluctuations,

one of the best things you can do is to figure out your total caloric expenditure each day and eat

around that number.

Your basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is a measure of the calories you require on a regular day‐today

basis for basic life functions. This calculation assumes no physical activity is being performed

and therefore minimal energy is being expended. To calculate BMR, there are a ton of online

calculators you can use, like this one here.

If you figure out your approximate BMR and factor in

physical activity, you can get a general idea of your daily caloric expenditure. Once you know

this number, you can use the percentage ranges listed above to tailor your diet.

It’s important to keep in mind that just like with exercise, change is a good thing when it comes

to diet as well. If you find yourself starting at a macro-nutrient split of 45% carbs, 35% fats and

20% protein, you can later switch it up to 55% carbs, 30% fats and 15% protein, as an example.

You will find through trial and error what your body responds best to. There are numerous

online and phone app programs that serve as macro-nutrient trackers. You could start by

tracking your normal intake for a week and seeing where your macro-nutrient ranges fall.

What it all boils down to is finding a balance that works best for you. You may find that your

answer isn’t even close to what government‐recommendations say, and that’s okay. Whether

your goal is to lose, gain or maintain, find a system that makes sense.

"Struggling To See Results With Your Diet? Lose The Fat Forever By Learning The Secrets That Our Ancestors Knew To Maintain A Healthy And Fit Body!"